The pie charts compare the percentage of various waste types disposed in a particular nation from 1960 to 2011.
Overall, it is evident that both food and metal exhibited a pronounced upward trajectory, while the reverse was true for the remaining categories. Moreover, paper constituted the largest share of waste in 1960, whereas food became the most prevalent material in 2011.
In 1960, paper accounted for one quarter of all waste (25%), while textiles trailed behind with a moderately lower percentage (17%). This was closely followed by both food and the “other” segment, each contributing 12% of total waste. Smaller proportions comprised plastic (8%), green waste (9%), glass (5%), wood (4%), and metal (8%).
By 2011, the landscape had shifted markedly; food waste surged to 21%, emerging as a leading category. Similarly, plastic experienced a sharp rise, climbing to 18%, which was nearly twice the figure for green waste and metal, at 9% each. Wood also mildly increased to 8%, doubling that of the “other” category (4%). Conversely, both textiles and glass witnessed a decline, at varying levels. Particularly, textiles grew to approximately 11% share of total waste, whereas glass stood at a mere 5%, contributing the least among surveyed categories.